Friendship, Surprises and Reality
by PenelopeJess
Summary: Derek took three days off from work for himself and his wife. Story happens after s2 finale. Pairings : Addek, Prestina


**Author's Note :** This is written for a Addek/Addison fic challenge. Sentences used are

- Izzie teaches Addison how to bake  
- Derek and Addison goes to a carnival  
- Derek shows Addison the 'great outdoors' by taking her on a camping trip  
- Derek and Addison have a double date with Preston and Cristina

I hope you like it

* * *

**Friendship, Surprises and Reality**

Feeling an itch traveling up her nose, she pressed the back of her hand against it, squeezing her eyes shut as she allowed the sneeze to come. The tiny grains of flour flew up along with the loose tendrils that fell even after her hair was gathered into a bun. Blinking back in surprise at the cloudy substances floating in the air, she waved at it a little, but only to create more of them as the flour grains that clung onto her fingers escaped.

The bouncy figure returned with the right ingredients for baking in her arms, settling them onto the large, rectangular table in the kitchen. She gave them a once through and mentally checked that everything was there. She looked up at the redhead. Her red hair was dusted with clumps of flour, so were her nose, and her cheeks. At that comical image, one of which she had never seen the woman in, the blonde couldn't help but to laugh.

"What?" Addison asked, annoyed. Izzie shook her head, waving it off and bit her lower lip in attempt to hide another giggle that was about to explode. Knowing very well what Izzie was laughing at, Addison grabbed a handful of flour and tossed it straight into her direction, causing Izzie to gasp and duck for cover. But all was too late as the white particles landed on her blonde hair like snow flakes.

"There, we're even now." Addison smirked. Izzie shook her head at the comment as her hands flew up to her hair trying to dust the flour off. After being here for almost 3 hours, Isobel Stevens was still in awe at the behavior her mentor was displaying.

It all happened suddenly.

Isobel Stevens was determined to pick herself up even after Denny's death. For once in the past few days, she had gotten out of bed, chased everyone out of the house and back to the hospital (George, Callie and Alex stayed over) and went around doing housework. She had answered the door a little after midday with a white tank top and baby blue shorts, a mop in a hand. The annoyance of an unexpected visitor turned into surprise when she saw the red-headed attending standing at the doorway, fidgeting. It started off with a bit of small talk before she blurted out her request—to be taught how to bake.

And for the first time since Denny's death, a real smile spread across Izzie's face.

"How are they coming along?" Izzie asked, pulling the ingredients that she had bought out of the bag. That day was also the very first day she stepped out of the house since Denny's death. Each time Izzie thought of Denny's death, it saddened her. But in some unexplainable way, seeing Addison Shepherd standing by her kitchen table dressed in plain t-shirt and a pair of jeans, covered in flour had put a smile on her face all day. Whether it was a calculated move for Addison to get Izzie out of the house, she didn't know. But all that mattered was that an attending that she respected most had looked for her, and asked to be taught. At the same time, this particular attending, cannot bake.

Addison threw down the lump of dough with a sigh, shaking her head. "It's a disaster." She whined, gesturing to the oddly shaped clump that was supposed to be a cookie. Izzie stared at it, her eyes widened as her lips pressed together at the sight. Addison went around the table and helped with unpacking the groceries, another sigh escaped her lips.

"It's fine, Izzie. Go ahead. Laugh."

And Izzie did, but only to receive a playful smack on her shoulder. She gasped, rubbing it in pretence that it actually hurt. Addison merely glared.

"What? You gave me permission to laugh!" she defended herself.

"Well I didn't expect you to actually be so mean as to really laugh at my lame attempt at baking!" Addison said, shoving the packets of flour and sugar into the shelf for later.

"What?" she asked, having caught Izzie staring at her with a smile. The blonde shook her head, slightly embarrassed.

"Are you always like that? I mean, I've never seen you like this. In the hospital you're so—"

"Uptight? Well that's in the hospital. I'd be a really boring person if I'm all uptight outside the hospital too, right?"

"I wasn't going for the word 'uptight' but, yeah. You'd be a really boring person if you were." The blonde smiled.

Addison returned one of her own as she stared down at the lump of dough. Dusting her hands on the front of her jeans, she made her way back to it.

"Ok, Isobel Stevens. I believe you need to help me with these…"

"Oh believe me, Addison Shepherd. You need _a lot_ of help."

xxxxx

"Are you sure they look like cookies? I mean…"

"Stop being a perfectionist. Cookies come in many shapes and sizes. They don't have to be the same way." Izzie argued.

"I'm not a perfectionist." Addison insisted, only causing Izzie to roll her eyes.

"Oh yes, I'm sure you're not. Now put the tray in. Adjust the temperature to 300 degrees. And don't forget to close the oven."

Addison gave out a sarcastic laugh as she followed the blonde's instructions. She then turned around, surprised that the blonde was just standing there, waiting.

"You're not going to leave me to clean up all these by myself, are you?" Addison complained, gesturing to the large mess on the table and around the kitchen. "I mean, you were involved in the flour fighting too." She reminded her.

Izzie shrugged, making her way to the sink only to dust off the powdery substance from her hands. "Usually the first batch of cookies doesn't turn out good. At least, not for beginners." She teased, turning around to give Addison a playful wink. "Plus, you refuse to use the measuring tools." Addison rolled her eyes and started packing the remaining flour up. "I'm a surgeon, the best in my specialty. Believe me when I say I have a pretty accurate gauge of measurements. Besides, are you saying that you don't trust your own skills?" Izzie placed a hand on her hip and eyed the older woman, biting her lower lip in consideration. Addison's eyes shifted to her watch. It was almost dinner and she had promised the ass of her husband that she would be back.

"Plus, it's getting late. I'm supposed to report home for dinner. A said person had claimed to be cooking something fabulous for the night." She explained.

Derek had admitted his infidelity during the prom night, and begged, repeatedly, for her forgiveness. Loving him that much, Addison had given in. How could she not? Especially when he was kneeling down in front of her, holding her hands in his, tears trailing down his cheeks. And his promises of wanting to start over again, forget her affair with Mark, only if she were to forgive him and let them have another chance—a real chance this time. Addison, although afraid that history would repeat itself, decided to give it a go anyway. In the beginning, she was skeptical of the whole thing, afraid to put her whole foot into it once again. But Derek had proven otherwise. He's been taking larger steps that Addison had, showing her that he really meant it when he said he wanted another chance. Not out of obligation, not out of showing that he's the good guy, or that he's a man who doesn't fail—especially not in marriage. Addison wasn't so sure about the latter, but she'd rather be with him than without him.

At Addison's explanation, there was almost an immediate change in expression on Izzie's face. Noticing it, Addison grimaced, realizing that she had brought back memories of Denny Duquette. Memories that the blonde probably want to forget. Or memories of the future she had dreamt of sharing with the man she fell for.

"I'm sorry." Addison whispered. But Izzie looked up with a smile, shaking her head.  
"No, no. It's alright." She insisted, taking in a deep breathe to compose herself. She wasn't going to break down in front of an attending. Although for the past almost 5 hours, the two of them had been on friendly terms, while Izzie really enjoyed spending time with Addison, she didn't feel that they were close enough for her to just break down and bawl. Besides, she promised herself that she would move on, and not bawl. Bawling was overdone in the past week.

Then, Izzie nodded. "Alright." She gave in. "But if it turned out horrible, I'm not going to drag out all these stuff and mess up the kitchen again after cleaning it up. Oh, and you'd have to finish all the cookies." Izzie said. Addison raised an eyebrow with a laugh, but did not object. Besides, she could bring it home and feed Derek with it, or the fishes in the nearby lake.

"It's a deal."

xxxxx

Time went by as the two cleaned up the kitchen, sat down for a cup of hot chocolate each and just chatted. Izzie never imagined to have been able to get along so well with the attending that she once labeled "the bitch that lied to her". Addison was starting to wonder if apart from Miranda, she could make another friend in Seattle.

"So, what made you want to bake?"

At the question, Addison wriggled her eyebrows with a laugh. "It's a secret."

"Aww, c'mon! I wasted 5 hours on you!"

Addison pouted, only to release a laugh from Izzie.

"Alright, fine, evil."

"Pot calling the kettle black." Izzie interjected, only to receive a glare from Addison. "Fine, I'm sorry. Go on."

"It's a surprise—for Derek."

xxxxx

The night before, Addison had crept out of bed and into the tiny kitchen and repeated the cooking-making procedures Izzie had taught her two days ago. For once, she was grateful for the absence of the dog in the trailer or it'd have woken Derek up, and the surprise would be ruined.

Being done with the dough molding, a flour-covered Addison cleaned up the mess, tucked everything away. She had purchased a cookie cutter on her way back from Izzie's house the other day. She frowned, suddenly wondered why Izzie never brought out a cookie cutter and instead, got her to mold the dough into odd little shapes. Addison's gaze traveled back to the cookies and sighed with a smile. She let her eyes roam the kitchen once again. And that was when she realized it—she doesn't have an oven!

Cursing silently under her breathe, Addison shoved a hand through her red hair before searching for her purse. She pulled out a white slip of paper with Izzie's number on it—they had exchanged numbers in case Izzie wanted to talk about Denny, or if Addison needed help with baking. She took a glance at the clock. 3am. _It's important._ She told herself, crossing her fingers in hope that Izzie would agree to help.

xxxxx

The piercing ring tone cut through the silence of the night. Izzie groaned, flipped over and reached out for her cell phone, rubbing her eyes as she slowly rouse to consciousness. She squinted at the bright, flashing screen, surprised to find the name flashing on it. Thanking her smarts to have given Addison Shepherd the number of her cell phone instead of Meredith's landline, she propped herself up with an elbow and answered the call.

"Hello?" Izzie mumbled groggily.

"Hey." Addison's voice came off in a low whisper.

"What do you want?"

"Did I wake you?"

"Of course you woke me. It's…" she paused, flipping over towards the digital bedside clock. "… 3 in the morning, Addison. Why are you whispering?"

"That's not the point." Addison explained, peeking into the bedroom to make sure that Derek's still asleep. "I need an oven." She confessed, emitting a groan from the other side of the phone. Addison winced, chewing on her lower lip in hope that the blonde would agree.  
"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously… please?"

Izzie let out a loud sigh, plopping back down on her bed. "Alright, fine." She agreed, letting out a yawn, stiffening a laugh when Addison gratefully thanked her, claiming that she will be there in half an hour.

xxxxx

As promised, half an hour later, there came a soft knock at the door. Izzie stood up from the couch with a laugh, thankful that at least the attending had the smarts to knock softly instead of ringing the doorbell. She opened the door, coming face to face with once again, a casually dressed Addison.

"You'd think a world renowned surgeon would have an oven." Izzie greeted, letting the scowling Addison in.

"Well hello to you too. You seem to also forget that I live in my husband's trailer."

Izzie shut the door behind her, stretching her arms as she padded towards the kitchen, leaning her elbows on the table as Addison unpacked the cookie dough and laid them neatly on the silver tray.

"The oven's warmed up."

"Thanks, Izzie."

"Not a problem." Izzie said, shrugging casually. She pushed herself off the table and made her way to the kitchen counter, fishing out two porcelain mugs and rinsed them. "Coffee or tea?" she asked, allowing Addison to operate the oven on her own.  
"Right, hot chocolate." Izzie added before Addison could respond.

"You learn fast." Addison smiled.  
"Well, a certain Dr. Shepherd told me that I'm the best she's seen in years."

"Show off." The red head teased.

"Well then, we have plenty in common."

After setting everything right, Addison slid into a chair as Izzie placed the mug of hot chocolate in front of her.

"You know, I did mean it when I said you're the best I've seen in years." She said, taking a sip from the drink. At that, Izzie looked down at her steaming mug with a shrug.

"I know you quit, but if you asked me, I think you should come back. I'll take you under my wing—"

"I… that's very kind of you, Dr. Shepherd—"

"Addison."

"…Addison, but… I don't know." Izzie admitted. "I mean, I'm not sure if I'm ready yet, and do I really have all it takes to be a surgeon? I just need time to figure it out."

Addison nodded in understanding and reached out, covering her hand over Izzie's and gave it a squeeze.  
"When you want back in, let me know." She offered, giving her hand a gentle pat before drawing back.

"So anyway," Izzie diverted, purposely steering away from the depressing topics. "Something special's coming up?" she asked, gesturing to the baking cookies in the oven. Addison raised an eyebrow at her, taking another sip of her drink.

"C'mon, I woke up at 3am to lend you the oven. I haven't been back at the hospital, so no gossips. Help a girl out here, will you? Besides, you owe me." Izzie pointed it out. Sensing the hesitation in the attending, Izzie quickly added on. "I wouldn't tell anyone, I promise."

At that, Addison laughed, placing her mug back down on the table. "Well, they'll probably hear about it sooner or later anyway." She said, a smile spread across her face at the memory.

"Derek took three days off for the both of us." She recalled. "He told Richard that we needed time to get our marriage back on track. He asked for a week actually, but Richard didn't think the hospital would survive with our stand-ins even if it's only a week. So, three days."

Izzie nodded, encouraging her to go on even though she wasn't used to hearing her superiors being addressed by their first names.

"So today, later, Derek's brilliant idea is to have us go to a carnival." She said with a laugh. "We haven't been to the carnival since…forever."

xxxxx

Hours later, Addison had snuck back into bed, the cookies all packed in a Tupperware and hidden in the bag she had planned to bring later. Thankfully, Derek has decided to take a morning run that day, leaving Addison the chance to grab a nap. It wasn't before long that she felt the familiar softness of his lips pressed against his. She stirred, flipping over with a moan.

"C'mon, babe. Time to wake up, we're going to the carnival today." Derek whispered, shifting the strands of red hair out of her face before leaning in for another kiss.

"Don't you think we're too old for this?" Addison groaned, stiffening a yawn as she snuggled against the pillow.

"I thought you were happy about this." Derek asked, slightly baffled by what seemed like a sudden change of mind from his wife. Addison grabbed his pillow and pressed it over her head, attempting to ignore him.

"Addie…"

Addison sighed, throwing off the pillow and her covers and crawled out of bed. "Fine, fine. I'll get changed." She grumbled, shaking her head as her husband's eyes lit up.  
"I mean, if you don't want to…"

"No, no, Derek. I want to. You just…wait here." She said, already going through her wardrobe aimlessly.

Her husband's change of attitude had still surprised her, especially the sudden turn from being indifference to seeing her and wanting to actually spend quality time with her. Some nights, the strangeness of it had started her thinking. It felt surreal being back to the way it was before their marriage fell apart. Addison Shepherd didn't want herself to sink too deep into the blissfulness of it, but at some point of time, she had decided to go with the flow instead of worrying, enjoying the good moments before it ends.

xxxxx

Derek Shepherd had thought it was a brilliant idea for the both of them to dress in the same colors, both wearing a white top, navy blue shorts and sneakers. They had locked their bags away in the car, gotten hotdogs, candy floss and a large soda to share for lunch. Knowing very well that Addison Shepherd is one who would get into the hang of things only if she dived into the action headfirst, Derek dragged her towards the Ferris wheel booth and got them a ticket. Before she could protest, he helped her up into the seat and fastened the belt around them.

"Alright, you ready?" he asked, shifting in the seat to get comfortable, an arm already wrap around her shoulder. Addison swallowed, her eyes drifting up to the sky as their carriage moved a position up, allowing another couple to get into the empty one beneath them.

"No." she admitted, tightening the grip she had on the metal bar. Derek laughed, rubbing her shoulder as she drew in a deep breathe.

"You didn't forget that I have a thing against heights, right?" she asked, turning to him. The carriage shifted yet again.

"Why do you think I dragged you here first?" he laughed, feeling her muscles starting to tighten up as the carriage shifted higher.

"I hate you." She said, already hating the nervousness and the fear in her voice. Derek shifted his weight, purposely shaking the carriage they're in, laughing as Addison let out a scream.

"Stop…please." She almost plead, her eyes are now shut tightly. He wrapped both arms around her with a laugh, pulling her body close to his as her stroke her hair, feeling her muscles relax under his touch. "Breathe, baby, breathe." He coaxed, laughing lightly as her nails dug into his body while she cling onto him. The Ferris wheel started, slowly making three full turns before the ride ended.

They got off, with Addison leaning her trembling body against his as they make their way away from the booth.  
"Are you ok?" Derek asked, a triumph smile spread across his face. Gathering enough strength, Addison slapped him in his chest, only causing him to laugh.

"You're so dead." She warned, but allowing Derek to pull her body close again.

"Will it make you feel better if I let you choose our next ride?"

xxxxx

This time, it was laughter that came from Addison while pleading from Derek. Their bodies were tilted backwards almost vertically as the tram moved slowly upwards, increasing the inclination while it inched its way to the top.

"Can I get off now, please?" he whined, gripping the metal bar tightly. He had insisted that he lock arms with Addison for the fear of falling out of the tram. Addison laughed, shaking her head. "Well babe, I could push you off right now, if that's what you want."  
"No!" he said, shaking his head, his eyes already shut tight.

"C'mon, Derek. You had me going up the Ferris wheel that goes round three full times. This only happens once, don't be a wuss."

Derek swallowed, swearing in his mind as he felt the tram jerk. Addison smiled, planting a kiss on his cheek, slowly moving it to his lips. He kissed back, opening his eyes as she pulled away.

"This is it." She smirked, turning away as she threw her hands up in the air, letting out a howl as the tram sped down, hitting the water beneath hard. Derek on her side, however, yelled like a baby the whole way down, only stopping when the water leap up and splashed all over their bodies. He breathed out, the grip on the metal bar loosened as the tram made a detour back to the starting point. Addison tilted his head to her and planted a soft kiss on his lips.

"It's ok, it's over now. You're alright." She reassured him. Derek, although kissing back, shook his head.

"You suck." He pouted.  
"But you love me."

This time Derek smiled, turning around to capture his wife's lips in his.

xxxxx

The day was coming to an end as the skies begin to dim, the sun setting, painting the blue sky in hues of orange and pink as the stars above start to shine. Derek and Addison had taken several other rides in the carnival and played a couple of games. Now already dried from the water ride and carrying a large teddy bear in one arm, Addison allowed herself to be ushered out of the crowd and to a quiet corner of the nearby beach. Derek had chosen a spot under the tree and settled the both of them down, then fishing out a mat from the backpack and several lunch boxes much to his wife's surprise. At the look of utter shock on her face, Derek laughed lightly, shaking his head.

"What? Do you think I'm incapable of surprises?" he teased. Addison closed her gaping mouth and shook her head, shifting the toy from one arm to another as she made her way onto the mat, leaning forward to check out what Derek had brought.

"No, it's just that… I didn't expect this, that's all." She explained shyly, smiling as her husband started opening up the lunchboxes, revealing tuna sandwiches and fish fingers.

"Guess who made these?" Derek asked, clearly fishing for compliments. Addison, who very well knew this, shrugged nonchalantly and snagged a fish finger. "Well, I don't know. Some guy from some store?" At that, Derek's face fell, and she laughed.

"I'm kidding, babe. I know you made these." She said, leaning forward to give him a light kiss on his lips. "Thank you."

She adjusted her position and leaned her back against the tree, her eyes resting on the sunset scenery. Derek smiled, picking the bear out of her arms and settled it aside, then snuggled up next to her.

It wasn't before long that the moon and stars were the only source of light on the beach, apart from the loud neon lights from the still on-going carnival. Derek packed the empty lunchboxes, shoving into his backpack and almost ready to go when Addison opened her bag.

"Ready for dessert?" she asked, catching the attention of a confused Derek. At that, she placed the Tupperware between them. Derek frowned, zipping his bag before turning to his wife, eyes on the plastic container.

"What's that?" he asked, Addison shrugged, pulling the stuffed toy back onto her arms.

"Why don't you check it out?"

Derek approached the box suspiciously and opened it, staring at the cookies for a moment before turning back to Addison. He leaned forward to sniff at it.

"Where did you get these?" He asked, placing it down back to the mat as he took one out to try.

"Is it good?" she asked, knowing that he would tell the truth when he had no idea the food came from.

Derek's eyes widen as he took the first bite into the cookie, then another one followed quickly. "These are really good." He complimented, which caused Addison to beam. "Where did you get these?" he asked, reaching out for another one.

"Well, you know, some local store in Seattle named Stevens bakery. I hear these were baked by the main chef's apprentice…"

"Stevens Bakery? I never heard of it. Which street is it at?" It was when Addison stared at him that he realized what she was hinting.

"Wait, you mean Stevens as in _Izzie Stevens_!"

Addison nodded with a laugh. "And you must be the apprentice." Derek said, leaning forward for a kiss when his wife nodded again. "When did you learn to bake these?" he asked, but she gave a shrug and played with the ears of the stuffed toy.

"Well, 2 days ago." She admitted.  
"You did this all by yourself? Everything?"

Addison nodded. "Well, the oven isn't exactly ours…"

But instead of responding to that, Derek took another bite into another piece of cookie.

"You? Bake? You barely cook!" he exclaimed, mouth full of cookie crumbs. "I'm impressed, really. You learn fast."

"Well, you know me. I'm the best." She blushed, leaning back against the tree. But instead, Derek pulled her to him, letting her lay down on his lap.

"So what are we doing tomorrow?" she asked, hoping to get a hint or two as he played with her hair.

"It's a secret."

xxxxx

Like the day before, Addison woke up to Derek's voice, urging her to get out of bed and get dressed. She groaned, pulling the pillow over her head, only to have him pull it off again, his lips hitting the side of her face repeatedly.

"God, can't I have some sleep?" she grumbled, snuggling deeper into her pillow as Derek sweep the hair out of her face, tilting her face towards him so he can have access to her lips.

"C'mon! You want to know what the secret is, right?" he pouted, tugging at the blankets that she held so tightly to. "Five minutes, Derek. Just five minutes." With a sigh, Derek reluctantly gave in, planting a kiss on her forehead before leaving the room.

The truth was that Addison was already awake, she just wanted some alone time to process the events that happened the day before. While she had promised herself to just accept whatever he has to offer and enjoy it while it lasts, it doesn't mean she was going to go through all these without even a short moment of reflection. She hugged a pillow closer to herself and stared blankly ahead, hearing his movements in the kitchen.

A day like yesterday happened plenty of times back when they were dating, and during the first few years of their marriage. Sweet, loving and playful; everything anyone would want to find in love. Even after their schedules were getting busier with work, they never failed to have a day out with just the two of them, or attend anniversaries, festivals with family etc. Perhaps it's because things happened so gradually that none of them ever noticed until it hit the bottom of the pit. Addison shifted in bed, letting her body sink deeper into the mattress. Yesterday's events float back out from her memory. Derek made dinner, a picnic dinner—as a surprise—something he hadn't done since forever. And she baked cookies for him, too, as a surprise. Something she hadn't done since forever too. What inspired her to do that, she couldn't figure it out, not especially after the year he had put her through. She was suppose to hate him, hell, she was suppose to leave him, perhaps even let him have a taste of his own medicine. She knew what she deserved and what she doesn't, and him lying to her then cheating on her after he had condemned her so very often for doing was something she knew she didn't deserve. But somehow, Addison couldn't bring herself to hate her husband. She couldn't bring herself to leave him. After building a life on friendship, love, and understanding, after building a family together, becoming each other's family, Addison couldn't bare the thought of starting life all over again—without him.

Footsteps shuffled closer and she let her eyes close, laying still in pretence to be asleep. The bed shifted, tilting downwards at where he had settled on.

xxxxx

Derek knew she wasn't asleep, that she doesn't want more sleep. All she wanted was some alone time. After being her husband for so long, even though somewhere along the years he stopped noticing her, he could still see her inside out. He can see the fears and vulnerability in her through the walls of confidence she put up around her, and for a long while, she was used to letting down those walls just for him. However, that had changed, and he couldn't blame her. Yesterday had been fun, Derek was grateful for that. He knew that while Addison was enjoying his presence and the entire day, he couldn't help but feel the thin barrier that was still build up around her heart. She couldn't open up to him—at least, not completely.

His eyes shifted to his watch by the counter. Five minutes that she requested have passed. Derek padded back into the room, smiling at the peaceful figure of his wife. But he knew—she wasn't sleeping. Neither was she ready to spend the entire day with him. Not yet. They have yet to talk about Meredith, or Mark, or everything that had caused their marriage to fall. But she had waited for him an entire year, fulfilled the ends of her deal while he failed to do so on his account. Waiting for her for just a few more minutes wouldn't hurt, but the both of them are probably on the same wavelength now. Now, they just want to be with each other and forget about everything that happened before. The talking can come later—when they are both ready.

He settled down by the edge of the bed, running his fingers through her soft, red hair, just staying by her side until he noticed the change in her breathing pattern that indicated that she had drifted back to sleep. He leaned forward, planting a soft kiss on her forehead before leaving the room again.

xxxxx

Half an hour later, Addison woke up to the sight of a set of clothes placed at his side of her bed. She frowned and pushed herself off the bed, then gaze down at the pair of track shoes and ankle socks at the foot of the bed. A note was written on a post-it piece, stuck to the front of her red tank top.

"_I didn't want to wake you. Dress casual, I've laid the clothes on the bed. You don't want to wear designer clothes and/or 4 inch Prada heels. Trust me on this. Give me a call on my cell when you're ready and I'll be here to pick you up. _

_-Your dorky husband." _

Addison laughed at what the signature read, shaking her head before dragging herself into the bathroom for a change of clothes. Not long after, she was out, a red tank top and denim shorts, her red hair gathered up into a tall ponytail. She headed to the kitchen, contemplating on having a cup of coffee before calling Derek. But to her surprise, another note was stuck to the counter, at the position where the coffee maker once stood.

"_I've made coffee, brought everything along with me. Call me. "_

At this note, she frowned. Was Derek ready to talk about it? Was it what the secret was about? Addison wasn't prepared, she wasn't ready. She wants to enjoy all of this sweetness first before facing the potential loss of her husband yet again. She hasn't told him about staying with Mark, and when she told him, she can't guarantee his reaction would be positive. Would be forgive her still? Would he declare that it is officially even between the both of them and they dig up the past figuratively and lay the cards down on the table, officially deciding whether they should go on fighting or split? Or would he want to forget everything in the past and start all over again? She sighed, not wanting to think about it. But she knew she had to go in to this 'secret surprise' prepared for the worst to come. Before she could even turn to find the phone, the door to the trailer swung open, revealing her husband standing there with a knowing smile on your face.

"Hi." She greeted first, a smile spread across her face.

"I see you found my notes." Derek said lamely, stalling for a moment before leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. "Good morning."

Addison laughed, slightly awkward, but settled a peck on his cheek. "I thought you wanted me to call. How would you know for sure if I was ready by now? You always hated waiting."

Derek shoved his hands in the pockets of his shorts and shrugged. "Well, I know if you go back to sleep after you wake up, you'd be awake again after half an hour. Then you'll take a moment to take in the surprise at the clothes laid out on the bed, then get changed, which will take you another half an hour. And you'll look for coffee, so…" he explained, gesturing to the note that was still in her hands.

She looked down at the note, returning it to the counter with a smile at his response.

"And I see you still trust me." Derek said, attempting to break the tension that he already began to feel between them. Addison looked down at her hands for a moment before looking back up at him, only responding with a smile and a shrug.

An awkward silence fall between them, but only for a moment before Derek cleared his throat and stuck out a hand to his wife. "So, ready to see the big secret?" he asked, the infamous smile spread across his face. Addison couldn't help but found herself smiling, lacing her fingers between his and let him lead her to the Range Rover parked a distant away.

xxxxx

Moments later, the Range Rover stopped, but nothing in their surroundings looked different from that from around the trailer. Derek killed the engine and let himself out of the car, then opened the door on her side of the car.

"Get off, we're here." He said, the mysterious smile still on his face, only now it was added with a hint of mischievousness. Addison raised an eyebrow at him, but got out anyway.

"Here?" She questioned, her eyes darting around at what looked like a forest to her. After a short walk through the grassy lands, they came to a clearing, and in front of her eyes was a tent set up near the river, a bonfire already set up and trout hung over the fire.

"Surprise!" Derek exclaimed, gesturing to the scenario that he had set up.

"You set all these up in half an hour?"  
"Well, I took half an hour to build the fire. Everything else was set up last night." He said, dragging her into the tent that was big enough for the both of them to stand in. Inside, a large, thick blanket covered the ground inside the tent with four small pillows set aside, a small portable stool at the side for a night lamp, two bags tossed at the other end of the tent.

"So this is the big secret?" She finally asked, turning to him in disbelief. She was never fond of the outdoors, getting rough and getting dirty physically. Derek shrug, the smile still on his face as he pulled her to him by her waist. "Yes. This is the big secret—to show you the great outdoors."

She sighed in his arms, her fingers tracing lines on his chest. "Poison oak, Derek, have you forgotten that?" He laughed, and she smacked him across his chest, throwing him a stern expression. "I promise I'll tell you the right place to pee."

"Trout?" she asked, her eyes darting towards it through the gap in the opening of the tent.

"I'll… put it on a plate, nicely decorated, take out the bones and all, do anything to make it not as cavemen-like as possible for you as long as you promise to let me show you how much fun this is." He said, his eyes gazing into hers sincerely. Addison had to laugh at that, but she complied.

xxxxx

After two hours of silence from sitting by the river watching the fishing line, instead of getting restless, Addison and Derek felt the unfamiliar awkwardness and tension building up. Derek shifted on his position, his eyes darting towards his wife every now and then, while she had successfully avoided them by keeping her eyes away from him. Finally, he gave in, taking in a deep breathe.

"Are you… Do you…"

"No." Addison interjected before he can complete his question, shaking her head forcefully but still refusing eye contact.

"Ok." He said, nodding. "But you know we haven't—"

"Yes, I do. I'm just…not ready, Derek." She explained with a sigh, finally turning to him. "Can we just do this without having to think about it? About them?" she said almost pleadingly.

"But—"

"We'll get to talk about it." She promised, throwing him a smile. He returned one of his own and nodded understandingly. She had waited for him, and while he doesn't know if it would take her as long as he needed, but he was willing to wait. At least, he felt that he should, especially after all that she had done for him.

Moments of silence later, it was Addison who broke the silence, pushing herself off the ground and stretched, stiffening a yawn. "How are you able to do this, Derek? It's so…boring." She complained, staring at him with her hands on her hips.

"You can stand up till more than half a day in a surgery but unable to sit through a fishing session?"

"Well I'm actually _doing_ something during a surgery." She said, then, added on quickly before he can cut her off. "And don't tell me about the days where I was an intern. Surgery watching is much more interesting than fish watching."

"Ah, well then." He said, pushing himself up, dusting his hands on his shorts. "Shall we do something else?"

"Please, anything that involve me doing more than just watching and waiting in silence."

With a smirk, Derek grabbed Addison without warning and tossed her into the pond, laughing when she kicked her way up to the surface with her red hair plastered down to her face. "What the hell are you doing!" she shrieked, paddling back to the bank of the river.

"Scaring the fishes." He laughed, lending her a hand as she neared. She grabbed it, but instead of letting him pull her up, she took him by surprise and gave it a hard tug, forcing him into the water with her. As soon as the loud splash was made, Addison let go and started swimming away as fast as she could.

"You're _so_ dead." Derek promised, wiping the water out of his face before chasing after his wife. It wasn't long before he caught her by her waist and pulled her struggling figure back, trapping her between his arms. And as their laughing died down, Derek loosen the grip around her waist while she pressed her body closer, her eyes drifted down to his lips and much to his surprise, initiated a kiss.

xxxxx

They had came back from a short hike that Derek had dragged Addison along, all sweaty and muddy. Addison brushed the strands of hair off the side of her face and cringed in disgust at her dirt filled hands, considering for a moment to wipe it on her shorts but stopped, turning to Derek questioningly.

"We'll be taking a bath in the river, and yes, I've brought clean clothes." He assured her, his hands already working to take his white tank top off.

"In the _river_! Are you out of your mind?"

He nodded, tossing his shirt to the side of the tent and proceed to taking off his socks and shoes. "No one's going to see us anyway."

"And the fishes!"

"They wouldn't care. Plus, I'm the only one here and I happen to have seen you naked. Not to mention a zillion times before." He pointed out, then took off his pants there and then. Addison gasped, staring at him in disbelief as he jumped straight into the river, resurfacing seconds after with a grin on his face. "C'mon! It's not that bad. Unless you want to stay dirty…." He pointed out, daring her to follow suit.

Addison sighed, looking around before she hesitantly took off her shorts, revealing her black, laced panties. Derek shook his head and walked out of the river and towards her, body bare. In swift movements, he stripped her and carried her straight into the river, feeling her shiver as the cold water hit her skin.

xxxxx

The night came and the fire was still burning outside their tent. Addison shifted her head on the two pillows underneath for the tenth time while Derek snuggled closer. She could feel the cold and prickly grass underneath the blanket she laid on. A thicker one was pulled over their bodies. Derek's hands reached out to brush the hair out of the way as his lips started attacking her neck, moving from the base of her chin to her ear lope. She shrugged him away, squirming out of his embrace, but he only held on tighter, refusing to let her go.

"Derek." She warned, shrugging him off again. "Stop… Stop it!"

He backed off, sitting up with concern, a hand placed on her shoulder. To his surprise, she didn't flinch, but neither did she look up to him.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She said flatly. But he refused to give in, crawling over her so he was in her range of sight. She looked away, pulling the covers closer to her as he pushed on.

"It's just…I'm not ready yet, alright?"

Once again, he nodded and crawled back to his side, lying down quietly. Not long after, she turned her body towards him and snuggled against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder.

xxxxx

"Who wants in on the bypass surgery that I'm scrubbing in for?" Cristina offered, waving the patient's file in her hands. George, Meredith and Alex stared at her in disbelief.

"You're passing off a case to us?" Meredith asked, and George leaned forward in attempt to examine her.

"Yep, Burke is putting me to a second test." She said, shrugging nonchalantly this time.

"Burke asked you to a date?" Meredith laughed, leaning against the nurses' station, obviously wanting details. But Alex pushed his way between George and Meredith, trying to snatch the file out of Cristina's hands.

"Look, if they don't want it, then I'll take it." He said, but suddenly George and Meredith were brought back to the initial purpose of Cristina's approach, both of them eager to take over Cristina's position in the surgery. Her eyes darted from one to another, then placing the file down on the other side of the table.

"Not my problem. Fight for it."

xxxxx

"Preston!" Derek greeted cheerfully when he answered the ringing phone.

"Shepherd! Everything's going as planned?" he asked, the earpiece stuck into his ear as he checked the time again to make sure he wouldn't be late to pick up his outfit from the dry cleaners'.

"Yes, yes. I bought her a new dress. I'm hoping she'll like it." Derek confessed. Ever since the incident where the patient had a bomb in his chest, and the surgery that Derek had to perform on Preston, the two had moved on to a friendlier level of relationship with each other. While Derek had taken 3 days off to spend quality time with Addison, he had reserved the third night for a double date with Preston and Cristina. They'd have spent the entire day together but Preston knew Cristina better than that. She'd want to bail out of the date halfway through if the four of them were to spend even the afternoon together, and she wouldn't skip a day of work if she could help it.

"Well, after being married to her for so long, let's hope you're accurate about her preference." He joked, settling down on the couch and pulled out a magazine from the rack.

"Why thank you for the luck, Burke." Derek retorted sarcastically, his eyes darting back towards the closed door of his hotel room. After dragging Addison to a carnival and then to a camping trip that he knew she wouldn't be fond of, Derek had decided to have the both of them spend a day being pampered in a hotel. They had woken up early that morning by the birds chirping noisily, packed their belongings and headed back to the trailer and headed out again almost immediately.

Preston laughed, searching for words to say in order to avoid being questioned about the condition of his hand. But at the sound of Addison's voice, Derek went through the details of the night quickly again before hanging up, returning to the room.

"Who was that?" she asked, drying her hair with the large towel, only a bathrobe drabbed over her body.

"Nobody" he shrugged. She rolled her eyes then plopped down on the bed.

"What, was that Meredith?" she asked, flipping her hair back. Derek stared at her, his jaw dropped in disbelief.

"I beg your pardon?" he exclaimed, tone demanding. But Addison ignored it, making her way back to the bathroom to hang the towel.

"You don't expect me _not_ to suspect after everything that has happened, right?"

"Well I don't accuse you for talking to Mark every phone call you get!"

Addison rolled her eyes again, sitting down in front of the mirror and started combing the tangles out. "Because I've never answered 'Who was that?' with 'nobody' and I no longer am in contact with Mark."

"Well, how would I know if you really aren't?"

This time, Addison stopped and stared at him, silence filled the room for seconds before she slammed the comb down on the dresser. "That's because while I keep the end of the deal in all situations, you never did." She spat back. Derek turned away, drawing in deep breathes in order to calm his temper. Addison was right, and there was nothing Derek can say to defend himself, or even to name something that she has done to top that. She stood up from the chair and headed back into the bathroom, changing out into clean clothes. Without a word, she picked up the keycard of the room.

"Where are you going?"

"Somewhere."

xxxxx

By the time Addison came back, the room was empty with a dark purple gown laid down neatly on the top of the bed, a letter attached to its hanger. She let out a sigh, picking it up to unfold the note.

"_I'm sorry about before. I hope you like the gown I got for you. Meet me at the hotel lobby at 7pm. I love you._

_- The idiot whom you still call 'my husband'"_

She stared at the letter, then to the dress again. How many times does he apologize like this? Not a lot. Should she take it? Addison hesitated. Now that he doesn't have Meredith to fall back on, he'd be all alone if Addison leaves him. What if that is what he's worried about? And that if he was to find someone else new it'd be déjà vu all over again? She bit her lower lip in consideration, checking her watch for the time. She has 2 hours to get ready.

_Oh what the hell!_ She thought, tossing her purse by the night stand and headed into the bathroom. She'll do what she planned on—enjoying as much as possible while the going is good.

xxxxx

2 hours later, Addison was standing at the hotel lobby, her eyes scanning the room for her husband. She hasn't even quite begun to search when a bellboy walked up to her.

"Mrs. Shepherd?" he greeted, tone unsure.

"Actually, it's Dr. Shepherd." Addison corrected.  
"My apologies." He said, then, stretched out a hand gesturing towards the exit. "Your husband's limo is outside waiting for you.

Surprised, Addison allowed herself to be ushered out, the chauffeur already by the door greeted her with a smile, then pulled open the door for her. She slid inside, surprised when she saw Derek already sitting there waiting for her. The moment the door closed, he handed a thin glass of champagne to her, clinked their glasses together for a toast before they lift it up to their lips.

"I'm glad you came." Derek said, leaning forward to give Addison a peck on her cheek. She shrugged, returning a smile of her own. "Why fight?"

Derek waved her over, then placed an arm around her shoulder like he always did, then wind down the window to watch the lights dash by.

"So, you never told me where we're going."

"You'll see."

xxxxx

"What are we waiting for?" Cristina whispered as she stood as still as possible outside the posh restaurant. A black limo rolled by, stopping directly in front of the restaurant's entrance.

"This." He said, waiting for her reaction as the chauffeur of the vehicle opened the doors to let the passengers out.

"Can we go home now?" Cristina squeaked out when she saw Derek exiting the limo, holding a hand out to help his wife out. She gulped at the sight. Wavy red locks bounced around her shoulders, her makeup perfect, and the plain, silky violet gown hugged her figure, the v-neck cut showing enough cleavage.

"You invited _them_!" she asked, now desperate to get out of the situation as soon as possible. "You could at least have _warned_ me about it!"

Preston however, allowed a smile to spread across his face as the both of them walked hand in hand towards their direction. Derek had a smile on his face while 'pleasant surprise' was written all over Addison's.

"Preston, Cristina! My goodness, what a coincidence! What calls for a special occasion for a date?" she teased, but his smile only grew wider, his eyes shifting to Derek, who had the same goofy expression on his face.

"Didn't Derek tell you? We arranged for a double date."

"You what!" Addison exclaimed, but recovered quickly.

"Well that's nice, but it'd be great if you could've told me about it the beforehand." Addison said, casting a semi-glare towards her husband while the other couple entered the restaurant. Back against the Shepherds, Preston leaned in to Cristina with a whisper before claiming his reservations. "Be nice."

xxxxx

The dinner went by with casual conversations between the attendings while Cristina sat there, trying her best not to fidget.

"So, Cristina," Addison started, trying to break the ice for the poor, young intern who was obviously feeling out of place. "How's…everything? You know, at the hospital. Everyone…"

Cristina looked up at her curiously while Preston and Derek exchange gazes. Cristina looked to her boyfriend, only receiving an encouraging nod from him. "Uhmm…they're fine." She said discretely.

"Just fine? No exciting surgeries at all?"

"Why?" the Asian blurted out, receiving a warning glance from Preston.  
"Cristina."

"I'm sorry." She apologized, lowering her head to the steak and started cutting a piece. Feeling the expecting looks boring through the top of her skull, she looked up again at them oddly.

"Oh." She muttered, not realizing that they were actually waiting for an answer still. "Well no. No exciting surgeries, M'am"

"Cristina…" Preston started again, putting his fork down to shoot her yet another warning glance.  
"It's alright, Preston." Addison reassured him, then turning back to the intern sitting in front of her. "When we're outside the hospital, there is no need to address me formally."

"Right, I'm sorry Dr. Montgomery Shepherd." She said, then advert her gaze back to the piece of steak.

"Cristina Yang! What is wrong with you!" Preston demanded, taken aback by her behavior. Cristina laid down her utensils and looked up at him, almost appalled that he did not understand her behavior.

"What, you want me to get friendly with the woman who's the wife of the guy who broke my best friend twice?"

"Hey I did nothing to—"

"Oh is that really so, _Derek_? I mean, you led her to believe that you really did love her, and then you hinted that it's going to be her but you chose your wife yet again and broke her all over again. So if everything you had with her isn't a lie, I don't know what it is."

"Everything I had with her wasn't a lie!" Derek demanded, jumping to his own defense immediately.

Addison stiffened at the comment, the fork and knife landing back on the table with a soft clink.

"Excuse me." She mumbled, grabbed her bag and headed straight towards the exit. When Derek called after her, she turned back and pointed a finger warningly at him. "Don't you dare."

"I'll go." Preston said, tossing the napkin on the table and rose from his seat, quickening his steps after the redhead.

"Good going, Dr. Yang." Derek spat out, glaring at her.

"You're giving _me_ credit for your actions? Why Dr. Shepherd, how very kind of you." She retorted, the sarcasm in her voice distinct.

"If you'd have kept your mouth shut, everything would've been fine."

"If you'd have stuck to your choice and be honest for once, everything would've been fine." She said calmly, lifting up the wine glass to take a sip.

"You know, my private life is none of your business."

"It became mine when you involve my best friend."

Derek stared at Cristina in disbelief, his jaw hung open as he searched his mind for the comebacks. "You do realize that I am still your _boss_, right?"

"Yes, however, formalities are not needed outside the hospital. Because see, outside the hospital, you're Derek and I'm Cristina. So right now, you're not my boss."  
This time, it was Derek that stood up from the table, tossing the napkin roughly onto the chair.  
"I had a great time, Dr. Yang." He said, the glare from his eyes still strong. Cristina only shrugged, delivering a piece of meat into her mouth.

"Likewise, Dr. Shepherd."

xxxxx

"Addison!" Preston called out, now running after her as she picked up her pace.  
"I'm fine." She insisted, but he caught up with her and spun her around by her arm. The sight of tears glistering in her eyes caught him by surprise as he gasped, releasing her arm. The Addison Shepherd he knows doesn't break down, doesn't cry. But right now the Addison Shepherd he still knows is on the verge of breaking down in front of him. She laughed, looking away at his reaction. She blinked then reached up to wipe the moisture away from the side of her eyes.

"This is stupid." She said, still avoiding his gaze. "I knew, anyway—that it was real between him and Meredith. He told me." She confessed, this time, her eyes adverting to the ground between them. "He said he fell in love with her. That it wasn't a fling, it wasn't revenge. He asked me to wait till his feelings for her passes, I did. He told me that he's trying in our marriage, I believed him. And then…" she laughed again, more at her stupidity than the irony of the situation. "And then he ran off and slept with her during the prom he asked me to. Why did I even take him back?"

Preston just smiled when she looked to him. "You know the answer to your question, Addison."

"I wish I didn't." she whispered softly. Preston took off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. "C'mon, I'll take you home."

"I don't want to go home." She said, stopping them in their tracks. "I don't want to face him."

Preston nodded understandingly. "I'll take you back to my home."

xxxxx

Addison leaned against the side of the restaurant as Preston headed in without his coat on, paid the bills before he ushered his girlfriend out.

"Where's Derek?"

"Where's your coat?" she asked, ignoring his question. It was when they exited the restaurant that Cristina's question was answered. She turned to Preston skeptically.

"You gave _her_ your coat?"

"Yes. And we're taking her back to our house."

"We are?"

"Yes." He said, his tone indicated no room for negotiation.

xxxxx

Preston made the couch comfortable, settling Addison down on it before pulling off his tie to get comfortable himself. He would have offered his side of the bed but Addison would insist on taking the couch, and Cristina would definitely not be happy to share a bed with a woman. Making sure that everything was acceptable in his eyes, he headed off to the bathroom that Cristina came out from after telling the attending to make herself at home.

Once alone, Addison reached for the remote control and started flipping channels. It wasn't before long that a cup of tea landed in front of her, much to her surprise. She took it, looking up with a polite smile to find Cristina hovering over her.

"Thanks." Addison muttered. Cristina only smiled and nodded, settling down on the single seat couch next to the one Addison was on.

"I'm sorry." The Asian started, looking down at her own cup of tea. "…for what I've said before. I shouldn't have—"

"I understand." Addison interjected, taking a sip from the tea. She laid the steaming mug down and crossed her legs on the couch, her fingers playing around with the blanket that Preston offered.

"Do you love him?" Cristina blurted out.

"Yes." She said, before the intern could apologize for intruding.

Silence again.

"You know, for what it's worth, it's not out of obligation." Cristina offered. "He chose you—twice. Dr. Shepherd may be wishy-washy in making his decisions but deep down inside, you're the one he wants to be with. It's not out of obligation."

"How would you know for sure?"

"I may not know him well but human beings are selfish, and rarely selfless, especially in love. He wouldn't pick someone he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life with. And if picking you the first time was a mistake, he wouldn't make the same mistake twice."

"Thank you."

Cristina nodded again, the awkward smile still on her face. "Have a good night, Dr. Shepherd." She said, standing up from the couch.

"You too, Dr. Yang."

xxxxx

Derek headed back to the trailer with a heavy heart, one that sunk lower when he saw that the lights of the trailer weren't switched on. Addison wasn't home. He entered, turning on the lights, relieved to find that her things were still in place. Nothing has changed. But where was she?

He sighed, loosening the tie around his collar and popping the first button, then plopped down on the couch and buried his face in his hands. The ring tone of the phone pierced through the deafening silence in his trailer. He looked up, sighing at the name that popped up on the blinking screen. He picked it up.

"Go ahead and yell at me, Preston."

"Uhmm…She's with us." Cristina's voice traveled from the other side. Derek leaped up from the couch and shoved a hand through his hair.

"She's wha—is she alright?"

"She's asleep on our couch."

Derek breathed out a sigh of relief, settling back down to his couch. Addison was alright. The next step is to worry about their relationship. For the past few days it's almost like they're in denial. The issues of their affairs have been brought up briefly, but pushed back down again. Maybe having the truth rubbed in their faces by an outsider had set things off.

"Dr. Shepherd?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

"Could you uhmm, bring her home? Now?"

"Does she want me to?"  
"I don't know… But I'll really appreciate it if you could."

"I'm on my way."

xxxxx

Derek arrived at Preston Burke's doorstep 45 minutes later. Cristina heard the soft knock on the door and let him in silently, gesturing to the sleeping figure on the couch before retreating back into the bedroom.

Derek knelt down beside her sleeping figure and smiled, running his hand down the side of her face. She stirred, her eyes fluttered open to meet his. Not expecting what she saw, Addison gasped, bolting up to a sitting position.

"Derek! You scared me. What…what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to bring you home, Addison." He said, then, let a grin spread across his face. "We should go to the carnival again, it was fun."

Addison sighed, lowering her head into her hands.

"Hey…what's wrong?"

"This. Us. Everything." She said, looking up to her husband, frustrated. "I don't want to pretend anymore. We both know that for the past 2 days we were avoiding the reality that put a wedge between us, and it does hurt less to pretend, but it still hurts when the memory returns."

"You want to talk?" Derek asked softly. Addison shook her head.  
"I don't know." She admitted. "But I don't want to pretend anymore."

Derek nodded, willing to do anything to get her to go home with him. "We'll figure it out." He smiled. Addison returned a small one, then, looked down to her hands.

"C'mon, let's go home." He said. When she nodded, he peeled off the covers from her body and lifted her up in his arms.


End file.
